Essential Qualities of a Good Teacher

Derrick Meador

Teaching Expert

What are the most valuable qualities of a good teacher? Good teachers are likely made up of a combination of hundreds of qualities that allow them do their job effectively. There is no denying that all teachers have their own unique blend of these qualities. Each teacher is different, but virtually every good teacher has the following twenty-five qualities.

A good teacher is accountable.

Accountable – Holding yourself to the same expectations and standards as you hold your students.

A teacher cannot have double standards. For example, if you do not allow your students to chew gum in your class, then you should not chew gum either.

A good teacher is adaptable.

Adaptable – Making changes to lessons or activities on the fly because of an unforeseen situation or problem.

A teacher must be willing to change. If half the class does not understand a particular concept, then you cannot move on and must quickly come up with a better way to teach that concept.

A good teacher is caring.

Caring – Going the extra mile to ensure that every student is successful no matter what.

A teacher must figure out the personalities and interest of each student and incorporate components that connect with each individual.

A good teacher is compassionate.

Compassionate – Recognizing that your students have problems outside of school, and making the necessary adjustment to help them through those issues.

A teacher must take outside factors into consideration. For example, if a student has just lost a loved one, the teacher should be sensitive to that and adjust accordingly.

A good teacher is cooperative.

Cooperative – The ability to work effectively with administrators, other teachers, and parents for the good of your students.

A teacher must be able to build cooperative relationships with others around them even if they do not necessarily like them.

A good teacher is creative.

Creative – Taking a concept and shaping a lesson that is unique, engaging, and dynamic.

A teacher must be able to create lessons that grab their students’ attention and make them want to keep coming back for more.

A good teacher is dedicated.

Dedicated – Showing up everyday and spending the necessary time to provide your students with the best education.

Teachers often arrive early and stay late. They work parts of weekends and summer to ensure that they are prepared.

A good teacher is determined.

Determined – Finding any means necessary to reach all students no matter the challenge.

Teachers must be willing to do anything to ensure that all students receive the education they need.

A good teacher is empathetic.

Empathetic– Being sensitive to a student’s struggles even though you may not personally be able to relate to them.

A teacher must put themselves in the student’s shoes and see it from their perspective. This approach is often transcending in how to help the child succeed.

A good teacher is engaging.

Engaging – The ability to grab the attention of a classroom full of students and to maintain their attention throughout the entirety of class.

A teacher must create lessons that are fun, fresh, and energetic. You want your student to walk out of your class each day looking forward to the next.

A good teacher is evolving.

Evolving – A continuous process of year over year improvement and growth.

A teacher must continuously look for ways to improve themselves as well as individual lessons or components of lessons.

A good teacher is fearless.

Fearless – Trying a new approach that may be outside the norm and may receive criticism or scrutiny.

A teacher must be willing to try anything within the parameters of school policy to reach their students. They must also be ready to defend their approach to criticism.

A good teacher is forgiving.

Forgiving – Quickly putting incidents with student, parents, or other teachers behind you so that it does not impact your teaching.

Teachers must be able to get past hurtful actions or accusations quickly. They must not hold it against any student or let it impact how they teach in the classroom.

A good teacher is generous.

Generous – Volunteering for extra assignments and/or giving money out of your own pocket for classroom needs or individual student needs.

Teachers do not make enough money, but most teachers are willing to donate time and/or money to help out in areas where a need is recognized.

A good teacher has grit.

Grit – The determination to overcome any obstacle in the way of obtaining a long term goal.

A teacher must possess the grit necessary to make the personal sacrifices necessary to ensure that every goal is reached every year.

A good teacher is inspirational.

Inspirational – The ability of a teacher to get their students to buy into, believe in, and to be motivated to become life long learners.

A teacher should make a lasting inspirational impact that follows a student throughout their life.

A good teacher is joyful.

Joyful – Coming to class each day in a good mood, excited, and enthusiastic about doing your job.

If the teacher has a lousy attitude, the students are going to have lousy attitudes. If the teacher is joyful, the students are going to be joyful.

A good teacher is kind.

Kind – The ability of a teacher to say and do things that uplifts, motivates, and inspires.

Kindness should be innate in all teachers. A mean spirit will turn students off, but a kind spirit is invaluable.

A good teacher is organized.

Organized – The ability to keep things neat and in order allowing teachers to access materials quickly and to make efficient transitions.

Organization is a necessary quality for every teacher. Teaching encompasses so much that those who are unorganized will be overwhelmed and swallowed up.

A good teacher is passionate.

Passionate – Teaching with enthusiasm and exuberance on a daily basis because you love the content and your students.

A passionate teacher connects with their curriculum and their students which maximizes learning.

A good teacher is patient.

Patient – The ability to see the whole picture and to understand that the school year is a marathon, not a sprint.

A teacher must never give up on a student. They should continuously try new strategies understanding that eventually something will work.

A good teacher is resilient.

Resilient – Not allowing adversity to stop you from accomplishing your goals.

A teacher must be resilient in overcoming the many obstacles that will present themselves over the course of a year.

A good teacher is resourceful.

Resourceful – Finding a way to make things happen.

A teacher must be able to figure out how to get supplies and materials for their classroom when the funding is not available and to reach a student who has no interest in learning.

A good teacher is trustworthy.

Trustworthy – The ability to get others around you to believe in you and what you are doing.

A teacher must gain the trust of both their students and parents. Any distrust will negatively impact the classroom.

A good teacher is vulnerable.

Vulnerable – Allowing your students to gain insight into your life without revealing a lot.

Vulnerability allows students to relate to their teachers as they share in common interests such as sports, television, etc.

Introduction

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10 reasons to learn English

Learning English is important and people all over the world decide to study it as a second language. Many countries include English as a second language in their school syllabus and children start learning English at a young age.

However, do you know why learning English is so important? Here are ten good reasons to study English.

English is the most commonly spoken language in the world. One out of five people can speak or at least understand English!

English is the language of science, of aviation, computers, diplomacy, and tourism. Knowing English increases your chances of getting a good job in a multinational company within your home country or of finding work abroad.
English is the official language of 53 countries. That is a lot of people to meet and speak to.
English is spoken as a first language by around 400 million people around the world.
English is the language of the media industry. If you speak English, you won’t need to rely on translations and subtitles anymore to enjoy your favourite books, songs, films and TV shows.
English is also the language of the Internet. Many websites are written in English – you will be able to understand them and to take part in forums and discussions.
English is based on a simple alphabet and it is fairly quick and easy to learn compared to other languages.
English is not only useful — it gives you a lot of satisfaction. Making progress feels great. You will enjoy learning English, if you remember that every hour you spend gets you closer to perfection.
Since English is spoken in so many different countries there are thousands of schools around the world that offer programmes in English. If you speak English, there’re lots of opportunities for you to find an appropriate school and course to suit your academic needs.
Because it’s fun! By learning English, you will also learn about other cultures. Few experiences will make you grow as a person more than learning the values, habits and way of life in a culture that is different from yours.

If you want to learn English, contact us to speak to a member of our team about our courses.

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Learn English, General English

Refreshment

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Seven Characteristics of a Principal

Being a school principal is balanced between being rewarding and being challenging. It is a difficult job, and like any job there are people that are just not cut out to handle it. There are certain characteristics of a principal that some people do not possess. Besides the obvious professional requirements needed to become a principal, there are several traits that good principals must possess to do their job effectively. Each of these characteristics manifests themselves in the daily duties of a principal. The best principals possess each of these seven qualities.

1. A principal must exhibit leadership. This is a characteristic that every principal must possess. The principal is the instructional leader of their building. A good leader has to take responsibility both in the successes and the failures of their school. A good leader puts the needs of others in front of their own. A good leader is always looks to improve their school and then figures out how to make those improvements no matter how difficult it might be. Leadership defines how successful any school is. A school without a leader will likely fail, and a principal who is not a leader will find themselves without a job quickly.

2. A principal must be adept with people. If you don't like people you shouldn't be a principal. You have to be able to connect with each person that you deal with on a daily basis. You have to find common ground and earn their trust. There are so many groups of people that principals deal with daily including their superintendent, teachers, support staff, parents, students, & community members. Every group requires a different approach and individuals within a group are unique in their own right. You never know what is going to walk into your office next. People come in with a variety of emotions including happiness, sadness, and anger. You have to be able to deal with each of those situations effectively by connecting to the person and showing them that you care about their unique situation. They have to believe that you will do whatever you can make their situation better.

3. A principal must balance tough love with earned praise. This is especially true with your students and your teachers. You can't be a push over, meaning that you let people get away with mediocrity. You have to set expectations high and hold those you are in charge of to those same standards. This means that there will be times when you have to reprimand people and likely hurt their feelings. It is a part of the job that isn't pleasant, but it is necessary if you want to run an effective school. At the same time, you must offer praise when it is appropriate. Don't forget to tell those teachers who are doing an extraordinary job that you appreciate them. Don't forget to recognize those students who excel in the areas of academics, leadership, and/or citizenship. An outstanding principal can motivate using a combination of both of those approaches.

4. A principal must be fair and consistent. Nothing can take away your credibility faster than being inconsistent in how you handle similar situations. While no two cases are exactly the same, you have to think about how you have handled other similar situations and continue on that same track. Students in particular know how you handle student discipline, and they make comparisons from one case to the next. If you are not being fair and consistent, they will call you out on it. However, it is understandable that history will influence a principal's decision. For example, if you have a student who has been in multiple fights and compare them to a student who has only had one fight, then you are justified in giving the student with multiple fights a longer suspension. Think all your decisions through, document your reasoning, and be prepared when someone questions or disagrees with it.

5. A principal must be organized and prepared. Each day presents a unique set of challenges and being organized and prepared is essential to meeting those challenges. You deal with so many variables as a principal that lack of those will lead to ineffectiveness. No day is predictable. This is why being organized and prepared is helpful. Each day you still have to come in with a plan or a to-do list with the understanding that you will probably only get about one-third of those things done. You have to be prepared for just about anything. When your dealing with that many people there is so many unplanned things that can occur. Having policies and procedures in place to deal with situations is part of the necessary planning and preparation to be effective. Organization and preparation will help reduce stress when you are dealing with difficult or unique situations.

6. A principal must be an excellent listener. You never know when an angry student, a disgruntled parent, or an upset teacher is going to walk into your office. You have to be prepared to deal with those situations and that starts with being an exceptional listener. You can disarm most difficult situations simply by showing them that you care enough to listen to what they want to say. When someone wants to meet with you because they feel wronged in someway, you need to hear them out. It doesn't mean that you let them bash another person continuously. You can be firm on not letting them belittle a teacher or student, but allow them to vent without being disrespectful to another person. Be willing to go the next step in helping them resolve their issue. Sometimes that might be mediating between two students who have had a disagreement. Sometimes it might be talking to a teacher to get their side of a story and then relaying that to the parent. In any case, it all begins with listening.

7. A principal must be a visionary. Education is ever-evolving. There is always something bigger and better available. If you are not attempting to improve your school, you simply are not doing your job. This will always be an on-going process. Even if you have been at a school for fifteen years, there are still things you can do to improve the overall quality of your school. Each individual component is a working part within the larger framework of the school. Each of those components at least needs oiled every once in a while. You may have to replace a part that is not working. Occasionally we are even able to upgrade an existing part that was doing its job, but something better was developed. You never want to be stale. Even your best teachers can get better. It is your job to see that no one gets comfortable and that everyone is working to improve continuously.

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Pros and Cons of Standardized Testing

Standardized testing is a highly controversial and well debated topic. However, for several reasons the practice of standardized testing is not going away any time soon. With the impending transition to the Common Core State Standards and the use of the associated assessments, you can bet that the practice of standardized testing will continue to be discussed and debated. Both sides of the standardized testing debate have passionate arguments. Here we examine several pros and cons of standardized testing.

Pros

Standardized testing holds teachers and schools accountable. Probably the greatest benefit of standardized testing is that teachers and schools are responsible for teaching students what they are required to know for these standardized tests. This is primarily because these scores become public record and teachers and schools who don’t perform up to par can come under intense scrutiny. This scrutiny can lead to the loss of job and in some cases a school can be closed or taken over by the state.

Standardized testing allows students located in various schools, districts, and even states to be compared. Without standardized testing this comparison would not be possible. Public school students in the state of Texas are all required to take the same state standardized tests. This means that a student in Amarillo can be compared to a student in Dallas. Being able to accurately compare data is invaluable and is a major reason that the Common Core State Standards have been adopted. These will allow for a more accurate comparison between states.

Standardized testing is typically accompanied by a set of established standards or instructional framework which provide teachers with guidance for what and when something needs to be taught. Without this structure a third grade teacher and a sixth grade teacher could be teaching the same content. Having this guidance also keeps students who move from one school district to another from being behind or ahead their new school.

Standardized tests are objective in nature. Classroom grades given by a teacher are at the very least minimally subjective in nature. Standardized tests are often scored by computers or at the very least scored by people who do not directly know the student. They are also developed by experts and each question undergoes an intense process to remove bias.

5. Standardized tests provide accurate comparisons between sub-groups. These sub-groups can include data on ethnicity, socioeconomic status, special needs, etc. This provides schools with data to develop programs and services directed at improving scores in these sub-groups.

Cons

Standardized testing evaluates a student’s performance on one particular day and does not take into account external factors. There are many people who simply do not perform well on tests. Many of these students are smart and understand the content, but it doesn’t show on the test. Many students also develop test anxiety which hinders performance. Finally, there are so many external factors that play into test performance. If a student has an argument with their parents the morning of the test, chances are their focus isn’t going to be where it should be.

Standardized testing causes many teachers to only “teach to the tests”. This practice can hinder a student’s overall learning potential. With the stakes getting higher and higher for teachers, this practice will only continue to increase. The sad reality is that it fosters an atmosphere that is boring and lacks creativeness. Teachers have such pressure to get their students ready for these exams that they neglect to teach students skills that go beyond the tests.

Standardized testing only evaluates the individual performance of the student instead of the overall growth of that student over the course of the year. Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) only focuses on whether a student is proficient at the time of testing. This does a disservice to both the teacher who worked hard to help their students grow and the student who worked extremely hard over the course of the year and improved tremendously, but failed to score proficient. Many would argue that teacher and student performance should be evaluated on growth over the course of the year instead of one single test performance.

Standardized testing can create a lot of stress on both educators and students. Excellent teachers quit the profession everyday because of how much stress is on them to prepare students to perform on standardized tests. Students especially feel the stress when there is something meaningful tied to them. In Oklahoma, high school students must pass four standardized tests in various areas or they do not earn a diploma, even if their GPA was a 4.00. The stress this can cause on a teenager is not healthy in any way.

Standardized testing can be wrongfully used as fuel for those with political agendas. This is a sad reality far too often across all levels of the political realm. Education is a hot political topic and rightfully so, but the center of this debate is often standardized test scores. The truth is that standardized test scores are often looked at as the end all for student and school success and it shouldn’t be that way. Many would argue that those politicians who try and use standardized test scores as a means to further political agenda are ignorant in their knowledge of what education and learning is truly about.

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